The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-05-21
THE NIGHT SCHOOL.
A Lunatic and His Reformed
Educational System.

In the winter of 1S74-5 was teaching
a country school in Ohio, not far from
the village of Medina. l was a girl
only seventeen years old, and weighing
less than IA hundred pounds, and those
who knew me would have laughed at
the idea Of my having any presence Of
mind in the face of danger.
It was a walk of a mile to the farm
house where | was boarding, and in
stormy weather l was conveyed to and
frs In the sleigh. 1t was clearly un-
derstood that should it come on to
snow and buster during the day the
farmer was to come for me at the close
of school. In ordinary weather the
walk was n to be enjoyed. just after
noon on the thirteenth day of January
it began to snow and blow in the most
furious manner, while the temperature
fell twenty degrees inside of two hours.
We had a snug brick schoolhouse, a
large pie of dry wood, and nc one
knew how cold it was until school was
dismissed for the day. Then there
We're many complaints from the
scholars, but all finally got away
and I was left alone to wait for the
farmers sleigh, which I had every rea-
son to believe would soon be at the
door. Ut was almost dark at four
O'Clock, and | got my things on and
sat down by the stove and waited
three-quar,ers of an hour before be-
ginning to wonder why Farmer Wat
kins did not drive up. We had a
couple of lamps, and l lighted one
and began work on an intricate mathe-
NAUTICAL problem. Time slipped fast
away, and when got up it was half
past five. l then felt hat some acct
dent had happened my friends and
they would not come for me, and l de-
cided to foot it home. l had not left
the s~chool-house a hundred feet behind
when l realized that l must return to
it. The wind was blowing at the rate
of fifty miles an hour and directly in
my face, while the air was SO full of
snow that one could not see six feet
away. That night the thermometer
registered seventeen below zero, and
much livestock froze to death.
1t was a bit lonesome when l re-
turned to the school-house and let my
self in and felt the little structure
trembling under the rising gale, but /
relighted the lamps, brought in a lot
of wood from the store-room, and
found enough Of my MONDAY meal
left in the basket to take the edge of
my hunger of. l had no idea Of
being obliged to pass the night there,
but confidently expected to be called
for at any moment. 1t had come to be
eight o'clock, and ! was getting very
nervous, when the outside door opened
and I heard a step in the hall. ]
jumped up to close the stove and turn
out the lights, but before I had &C.
complished the latter object the door
to the school room was opened and in
walked a total stranger. He was Gov.
cred with snow, and his cap was drawn
down until most Of his face was hid.
den. He did not seem to even glance
at me, but advanced to the stove.
shook of the snow. pulled Off cap and
overcoat, and then hold out his hands
to the warmth. l was what you might
justly term dnmfounded. There was
no fear Of him, but his unexpected nd.
vent and the cool manner in which he
acted quite took my breath away for q
couple Of minutes. However. l finally
found a voice to inquire:
did Uncle Bill send you for mel"
He looked me in the eyes for q few
seconds, and then walked through Ia
the outer door, locked II, came back "a
the inner door and locked that. and. n